⚠ ⚠ ⚠ Pay close attention to the listed course modality. If you sign up for a course listed as In-Person (INP) or Blended (BLEN) you will be expected to attend class in person according to the class schedule. If conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic makes changes to course modality necessary after your registration occurs, these changes will be communicated in advance whenever possible, accompanied by resources for student support. ⚠ ⚠ ⚠
Waitlisting for classes helps departments gauge interest and decide whether to offer additional sections.
09/07 - 12/21
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1:30 pm 3:10 pm OEC 414
N/A N/A Online 1
+ asynchronous coursework
Subject: Art History (UG) (ARTH)
CRN:43087
Blended Online & In-Person | Lecture
St Paul: O'Shaughnessy Education Center 414
(Common Good capacity: 36 participants)
Online
Old Core Requirements Met: UG Core Human Diversity
2020 Core Requirements Met: Fine Arts OR Diversity/Soc Just AND Integ/Humanities
Other Requirements Met:
Amer Culture & Diff Minor Appr FYE Cultural, Social Transf FYE Soci Just&Cultural Transf FYE Social Justice CommGood/Community-Engaged Writing to learn
Street art—including graffiti, murals, and other installations in public space—provides expressive avenues for marginalized voices, shapes urban space, and promotes competing visions of community development. In contrast to art that is created for museums or the commercial art market, street art is uniquely positioned to engage with social issues from a critical perspective. This class will involve an analysis of street art projects from the United States, situated in comparison with projects from around the world. Topics to explored include the history of street art over time (from its origins in graffiti to contemporary mural festivals); the impetus for street art in communities in the USA and globally; models for creating, preserving, and presenting street art; the institutionalization of street art; street art as it relates to diversity and inclusion; and, ultimately, the potential for street art to play a role in social change.
The invention of photography and its dissemination throughout the world coincided with an explosive time in the development of American culture and identity. Probing the medium of photography as it relates to structures of power, constructs of race, and issues of social justice, this course surveys the cultural history of photography with a special emphasis on photography in the United States. This course does not have any prerequisites and it provides an overview of the development of photographic techniques and applications from the origins of photography in the 1830s to the present as well as a critical focus on photography and issues of diversity, inclusion and social justice from an art historical perspective.
In this course, museum successes and failures will be examined in relation to the broad topics of exhibition design, collecting, politics, tourism, museum organizational structures, architecture, and education. The course combines thematic and theoretical classroom discussions with practical and experiential museum components. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester.
This course covers traditional as well as contemporary sculpture, painting, architecture, and body arts of Melanesia, Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Students will learn how material culture, along with the concepts of mana and tapu sustained highly stratified cultures in places such as Hawaii and New Zealand . They will also study more egalitarian societies in which cultures maintained a balanced relationship with their environment through beliefs and social practices. Examples of such societies include the Asmat, Komoro, and culture groups that inhabit the Geelvink Bay region. Students will have the opportunity to work with objects from the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas (AMAA@UST).
A survey of high style and vernacular architecture in the United States from the Native Americans to the present day. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify the major themes and styles in American architecture; recognize major monuments and their designers; and understand how an American identity was projected in architecture. This includes understanding American architecture and its relationship to corresponding developments in art, landscape, and the urban fabric. Emphasis will be placed on structures in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.
A survey of high style and vernacular architecture in the United States from the Native Americans to the present day. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify the major themes and styles in American architecture; recognize major monuments and their designers; and understand how an American identity was projected in architecture. This includes understanding American architecture and its relationship to corresponding developments in art, landscape, and the urban fabric. Emphasis will be placed on structures in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.
This course explores whether or not traditional concepts associated with the human person, business, and law are capable of addressing changes introduced by technology and its rapid evolution. In particular, students will be asked to consider whether concepts associated with property, privacy, rights, justice, and the good can accommodate technological innovations such as automation, decision-making by algorithms, big data, and the "de-skilling" of work. What might this mean for "meaningful work" in the future? What might it mean for education and culture? Will technology create an electronic Panopticon, substituting a world governed by big data and a lack of privacy for Weber’s “iron cage?" In the process, students should ask whether or not technological innovation is outpacing the ability of traditional concepts in business, the law, and philosophy to properly address deeper questions associated with promoting the human good.
This course explores from an interdisciplinary perspective the history of the Catholic Church as it interacts with the secular world and is shaped by its dominant personalities and events. No other institution in history has survived, and flourished, for so long and in the face of so many challenges. This course will critically reflect upon the history of the Church, from its origins in the Apostolic Age to the modern period, as a series of cycles with a common pattern of creativity, achievement, and retreat. Students may expect to complete the course with an awareness and understanding of the major personalities and events, secular and ecclesial, that have shaped the life of the Church.
At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101
At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101
This course examines the topics of sex, gender, and Catholicism at various points of intersection. Drawing on a variety of Catholic and non-Catholic historical, philosophical, and literary lenses on these topics, this course gives special attention to under-represented voices, as well as to the teachings, practices, and institutional reality of the Catholic Church. Readings may cover topics such as friendship, sexuality, priestly ordination, marriage, erotic desire, parenthood, and more. Readings offer an opportunity to examine preconceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions surrounding these topics. Attention is also given to the exercise of power (including institutional power, and power based on gender), both historically and in contemporary culture. This course aims to deepen, diversify, and inform students’ imaginations on these topics and their connection to diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Prerequiste: CATH 101.
This course provides an investigation into the ways in which Catholicism is inherently social and ecclesial. Its specific focus is on the Christian engagement with the world. The course's framework will be taken from the analysis of society into three spheres of action (culture, politics, and economics) as described in Centesimus annus. We will examine the ways that Revelation, the sacramental life, and the teachings of the Church call Catholics to seek holiness and to witness to their faith in the world. Specific topics may include social and economic justice, politics and public policy, lay and religious apostolates, education, and marriage and family. Course materials may include resources from philosophy, theology, history, economics, and political science.
John Henry Newman has been called, somewhat misleadingly, the father of the Second Vatican Council. According to Jarsoslav Pelikan, "(n)ot only to his latter day disciples, ...but to many of those who have drawn other conclusions from his insights, John Henry Newman has become the most important theological thinker of modern times." T.S. Eliot had insisted that he is one of the two most eloquent sermon writers in the English language. Pope Benedict XVI stressed his importance as the theologian of conscience when he presided at his beatification in England. In this course we will examine not only Cardinal Newman's most important theological works focusing on the development of doctrine and the role of conscience in relation to Church authority, but also his philosophical works addressing the relations of faith and reason, his work on university education and selected poetry, meditations and devotions, and sermons.
Other Requirements Met:
Class, Civilization Major Appr Class. Civilization Minor Appr FYE Changemaking FYE Cultural, Social Transf FYE Soci Just&Cultural Transf FYE Social Justice Writing to learn
This Course focuses on analyzing and understanding Classical epic poetry, the ancient presentation of heroic figures and heroic exploits, and recognizing the influence of epic/heroic literature on the modern storytelling device of film. While the genre of epic is central to the course, other genres (both literary and cinematic) which present he-roic figures, e.g., tragedy, history, comedy, action, fantasy, will also be explored. Analyzing the works read or viewed via writing and class discussion will constitute the primary course activities; students will engage in reading, viewing and writing outside of class, while class time will include some writing, viewing and discussion. In order to allow am-ple time for discussion and analysis, the majority of films in their entirety will be viewed outside of class. The course grade will be based substantially on written analysis (i.e., essays, papers) of the texts and films studied.
ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.
St Paul: O'Shaughnessy Education Center 310
(Common Good capacity: 35 participants)
2020 Core Requirements Met: Integ/Humanities
Other Requirements Met:
Class, Civilization Major Appr Class. Civilization Minor Appr FYE Changemaking Writing to learn WGSS Major Approved WGSS Minor Approved
Mythology is the embodiment and encoding of the beliefs, principles, and aspirations of ancient cultures. This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to mythology as an introduction and foundation to Classical civilization. Both Greek and Roman myths will be examined from a variety of theoretical perspectives, including aetioligical, structuralist, and psychological theories. Consideration will also be given to the study of literature in translation, art history, religion, and history. The course grade will be principally based on writing assignments and class discussions.
ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.
This course examines the influence of culture on our own and others’ communication. Students will be introduced to different aspects and levels of culture, including basic principles and theories that explain cultural differences on the group level, and challenges in intercultural communication, such as stereotypes, ethnocentrism, conflicting ethical standards, and racial disparities. Through lectures, discussions and first-hand practice, students are expected to form global perspectives and become more competent in intercultural communication. Students are advised to take the course either during or after the sophomore year.
This course examines the influence of culture on our own and others’ communication. Students will be introduced to different aspects and levels of culture, including basic principles and theories that explain cultural differences on the group level, and challenges in intercultural communication, such as stereotypes, ethnocentrism, conflicting ethical standards, and racial disparities. Through lectures, discussions and first-hand practice, students are expected to form global perspectives and become more competent in intercultural communication. Students are advised to take the course either during or after the sophomore year.
This course explores literature’s relationship to the brain, the mind, and cognition. We will consider how writers and artists have registered, challenged, and even shaped developments in neuroscience and cognitive science across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Topics may include sensation and perception, neurodiversity and neuroatypicality, affect theory, machine learning, neural networks, language acquisition, theory of mind, metaphor, and memory. Writers may include Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Oliver Sacks, Jorge Luis Borges, Ian McEwan, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, David Mitchell, Teju Cole, Ali Smith, Michael Davidson, and Naoki Higashida. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
This course explores literature’s relationship to the brain, the mind, and cognition. We will consider how writers and artists have registered, challenged, and even shaped developments in neuroscience and cognitive science across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Topics may include sensation and perception, neurodiversity and neuroatypicality, affect theory, machine learning, neural networks, language acquisition, theory of mind, metaphor, and memory. Writers may include Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Oliver Sacks, Jorge Luis Borges, Ian McEwan, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, David Mitchell, Teju Cole, Ali Smith, Michael Davidson, and Naoki Higashida. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
The difficult contradictions in our criminal legal system – which purportedly aims to reduce violence, addictions, and crime, to keep us safe, and promote justice – hide in plain sight. Thus we simultaneously recognize and do not recognize these contradictory realities: the violence and injustices that often occur in our jails and prisons, profound disparities in legal representation and sentencing bound up with race, class, and nationality, and a host of tangled methods and aims often in conflict with one another. While "crime" news reports, movies, and series keep certain stories ever present in our societal imagination, they tend to obscure deeper stories. In this class, we'll attempt to enter into and understand those deeper stories using both media and texts; writers may include Michelle Alexander, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Brittany Barnett, Johann Hari, Martin Luther King, and Bryan Stevenson. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integration in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
Hospitals, psychiatric wards, laboratories, operating tables, sick beds – all scenes presenting dilemmas of empathy and ethics for patients, doctors, and loved ones. We’ll read perspectives from both care givers and care needers: reflections from physicians on their craft as well as memoir, drama, and fiction about patients in the throes of illness. Writers may include Kopit, Taylor, Jamieson, Plath, Hawthorne, Edson, Pomerance, Fadiman, Williams, Gawande, and Mukherjee. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
How do global politics influence our desire to explore space? How does space exploration impact our theological viewpoints of the universe? What roles might nation-states and corporations play in future space endeavors? Focusing on the human yearning to explore space, as well as current efforts to put humans on Mars in the near future, this class will attempt to answer these questions by examining a variety of literary forms including fiction, science fiction, poetry, nonfiction prose, and biography. Likely works to be studied include Tracy K. Smith’s LIFE ON MARS, Mary Doria Russell’s THE SPARROW, and Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
In most cultures, readers tend to identify with heroes and hope that their goodness will triumph over the evil antagonist. However, every now and then, readers find the villain of the text far more appealing than its hero or heroine – the villain could be more intriguing than a hero, feature more human, relatable characteristics, could provide a reader with an opportunity to live vicariously through them, or a number of other reasons. Throughout the semester, we’ll read texts that future both classic and contemporary texts that are well-known for their villains, such as Iago (William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO), Tom Ripley (Patricia Highsmith’s THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY), Brigid O’Shaughnessy (Dashiell Hammett’s THE MALTESE FALCON), and Anton Chigurh (Cormac McCarthy’s NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN), examine the cultural context for each text and villain, and analyze what it is about these characters that makes readers want to root for them. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
St Paul: John Roach Center 414
(Common Good capacity: 30 participants)
Old Core Requirements Met: UG Core Literature/Writing
2020 Core Requirements Met: Integ/Humanities
Other Requirements Met:
FYE Changemaking FYE Cultural, Social Transf Film Studies Major Approved Film Studies Minor Approved Film Studies History&Analysis FYE Soci Just&Cultural Transf FYE Social Justice Writing Intensive
This course explores the genre of noir in both film and literature, looking back at detective fiction of the 1930s, German Expressionist film in pre-war Berlin, America during World War II, and blacklisting in Hollywood during the Cold War. Also investigated will be “neo-noir” films and literary texts, noting how the genre has transformed over time, as well as how stories and screenplays are adapted for the screen. We will read works by Raymond Chandler, Dorothy Hughes, Janet Fitch, Naomi Hirahara, Marcie Rendon and Walter Mosley. In addition, films will be screened by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Billy Wilder, and Joel and Ethan Coen. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. It also satisfies a History and Analysis requirement for the Film Studies major and minor. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.
1816: Famous writers and their friends gather at Lake Geneva for history’s most fruitful writing workshop. Results: vampires, the Frankenstein Monster, and a legacy of fear. In this class we’ll read what Lord Byron and the Shelley’s read, what they wrote—and what they inspired. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement.
1816: Famous writers and their friends gather at Lake Geneva for history’s most fruitful writing workshop. Results: vampires, the Frankenstein Monster, and a legacy of fear. In this class we’ll read what Lord Byron and the Shelley’s read, what they wrote—and what they inspired. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement.
Where does the popular perception of America as the “New World” come from? How could slavery flourish in a land idealizing freedom? Why were immigrants so feared and reviled? Why did expansionism push out some and make millionaires of others? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings from the beginnings of the American literary tradition to the turn of the twentieth century. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as religious identity, political reform, race, slavery, war, gender, and industrialization. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190.
From Sappho to Austen to Woolf to Morrison – women have been rendering the world into exquisite words for centuries. But how has the writing of women served as a critique of patriarchy? What impact has women’s writing had on important cultural and political movements such as abolition, suffrage, and environmentalism? In what ways has the writing of women been more radical than polite, more aggressive than demure, more confrontational than deferential? How have women consistently defied the limiting expectations of them through the creation of some of the most experimental, risky, and defiant works of literature in existence? These questions and more will be explored in this course, which focuses on the history of literature by women. While it will concentrate mainly on British and American women writers, the course will also address the work of non-western writers. Ultimately, this course will examine gender and its role in both the composition and reading of literary texts. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190.
Film Business and Producing is an introduction to the business side of the film and advertising industries and what it means to act as a producer on a creative audiovisual project. The course will focus on what a producer does in different contexts of filmmaking and advertising: project management, pre-production, logistics in the field, and promoting a project for film festivals and distribution outlets. Students will learn to create and manage film and advertising projects, understand how to collaborate with a team of technicians and artist, recognize the importance of clients and executives in the creative process, and learn efficiencies to assist projects from concept to completion.
In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.
In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.
In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.
This course examines how seemingly impersonal forces are historically associated with personal changes for women and the family across the Americas. We will analyze how women and the family intersected with the economy, politics, and society. A comparative approach allows for consideration of national circumstances and social norms regarding race, ethnicity, and class. Examining the history or women and the family throughout the Americas also highlights similarities and differences within the reciprocal relationship between private lives and public policy. Topics include working women and the family economy, slavery, political rights and protective legislature, social movements, youth culture and immigration. Understanding the history of women and the family helps explain current contentions over women’s roles and modern family structure.
These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.
These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.
This course introduces students to qualitative research theories, methods, and techniques focused on representing voices of women, people of color, people in poverty and others that are marginalized or excluded from dominant culture. Specifically, students will gain familiarity with the qualitative social science methods of interviews, ethnography, documentary research, and focus groups. Throughout the course, students will be guided through the process of designing and conducting their own unique research projects meanwhile learning from ongoing research with their instructors and partner organizations. In addition to training in data collection techniques, analysis, and varied epistemologies, the course thoroughly explores the ethics of research with marginalized communities and the ways in which research can and does relate to social change. Together, participants in this course will co-create a teaching/learning community wherein we all critically analyze and respectfully value each person’s individual and particular contributions as well as our diverse understandings of social reality and how we position ourselves in the multiple worlds in which we live and work.
Waitlisting for classes helps departments gauge interest and decide whether to offer additional sections.
09/07 - 12/21
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9:55 am 11:35 am OEC 305
9:55 am 11:35 am OEC 305
Subject: Justice & Peace Studies (JPST)
CRN:41054
In Person | Lecture
St Paul: O'Shaughnessy Education Center 305
(Common Good capacity: 28 participants)
2020 Core Requirements Met: Diversity/Soc Just AND Integ/Humanities
Other Requirements Met:
Amer Culture & Diff Minor Appr FYE Cultural, Social Transf Faith and Praxis Minor or Cert FYE Soci Just&Cultural Transf FYE Social Justice Writing Intensive
Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.
An in-depth philosophical examination of conceptual, moral, cultural, and legal issues surrounding regulating, watching, and participating in sports. Possible topics include: the definition of sport; the nature of competition; sportsmanship; being a fan; performance-enhancing drugs; gender; race; and the relationships among athletics, moral education, the law, and social responsibility in high school, collegiate, and professional sports. The course will integrate various disciplinary perspectives on the nature and practice of sport, especially perspectives from philosophical ethics, law, and sociology. Students cannot receive credit for both PHIL 218 and the less in-depth 2-credit version of the course, PHIL 219. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
This course provides students with skills for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the sorts of reasoning encountered in natural language. Emphasis will be placed on attaining facility with different formal systems for representing and evaluating arguments - including propositional logic, Aristotelian syllogistic, and first-order predicate calculus - as well as on acquiring the ability to apply these systems in the analysis and evaluation of arguments in ordinary and philosophical discourse. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off, or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off, or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off, or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
A philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197; and Honors
Many religions, including Christianity, ask people to have faith that God exists and has acted in human history. Yet it often seems more reasonable to doubt that religious claims are true. In this course, we will consider whether it can be reasonable to have faith in religious claims and how doubt can help a person come to a more mature faith. We will first consider the nature of faith, especially in the contemporary world where many religions are rapidly changing, and new forms of religious commitment are emerging. We will then consider two significant challenges to religious faith. First, in light of modern scientific findings (especially the theory of evolution), can it be reasonable to believe that God exists, created the world, and has intervened in history? Second, in the face of widespread horrendous suffering and moral evil, can it be reasonable to believe that a good God exists and cares for human beings? Special attention will be paid to the suffering that results from the experience of finding the world to be ultimately meaningless. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
Explore and analyze ethical issues related to clinical and social aspects of medicine—both from the perspective of Catholic intellectual tradition and from other philosophical perspectives. For example, what is the primary role of a medical practitioner: to give the “customer” what s/he wants, or to promote a more objective standard of health? Under what conditions should a physician or nurse be allowed to opt out of doing work that violates his or her conscience? Is euthanasia ethically acceptable, and should it be legally permitted? And (how) should we provide medical care to those who cannot afford to pay for it? Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
An application of concepts and principles in philosophical ethics to issues raised by modern technology. Technologies whose ethical use may be considered include: Information Technologies, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Genomics and Artificial Life, Reproductive Technologies, Biomedical and Therapeutic Technologies, Human Enhancement Technologies, Agricultural Technologies, and Environmental Technologies. Special attention will be paid to the application of moral concepts and principles from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
An application of concepts and principles in philosophical ethics to issues raised by modern technology. Technologies whose ethical use may be considered include: Information Technologies, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Genomics and Artificial Life, Reproductive Technologies, Biomedical and Therapeutic Technologies, Human Enhancement Technologies, Agricultural Technologies, and Environmental Technologies. Special attention will be paid to the application of moral concepts and principles from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
A philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
A philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197
This course does a deep dive into the competing philosophies that drive political polarization, generate clashing laws, and divide countries. Is there a way to heal these divisions? Our investigation proceeds historically so that we can evaluate those arguments that have shaped and continue to shape American and European societies. Particular attention will be paid to the philosophical tensions between communism, liberalism, and the Catholic intellectual tradition. Key questions include whether contemporary social justice issues both within America and across the globe require the development of a new political philosophy and whether a healthy political philosophy necessarily embraces democracy, limitation of government power, belief in God, living wages, a participatory common good, and individual rights. Main texts: Princeton Readings in Political Thought: Essential Texts since Plato, 2nd Edition, edited by Cohen and Fermon; Essential Works of Marxism edited by Arthur P. Mendel; The Social and Political Philosophy of Jacques Maritain and Reflections on America by Jacques Maritain; Multiculturalism and “The Politics of Recognition” by Charles Taylor; and a Course Packet. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197; and one other PHIL course
An introduction to Spanish and Spanish American narrative, drama and poetry. Strongly recommended for students who minor in Spanish. The course is designed to teach students the skills of critical reading and literary analysis.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of SPAN 300, 301, 305 or their equivalent with a C- or better in each course.
This course introduces students with foundational research skills essential to strategic communication. Students will learn how to locate research, interpret research findings, and translate results into actionable strategy. Students will learn about different research methods and how to measure and evaluate public relations and advertising campaign effectiveness. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course after STCM111 and STCM234, or in the same semester of taking STCM234.
This section involves the student in an intensive reading and discussion of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew scriptures. The course investigates methods of biblical interpretation and the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context. In addition, this course explores the Old Testament as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern) in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section involves the student in an intensive reading and discussion of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew scriptures. The course investigates methods of biblical interpretation and the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context. In addition, this course explores the Old Testament as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern) in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles
This course involves the student in an intensive historical, literary and theological reading of major portions of the New Testament in the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts and from the perspective of modern methods of biblical interpretation. In addition, the course explores the New Testament as a foundational document for modern Christian traditions in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship and in the articulation of moral principles.
This course involves the student in a literary, historical, and theological reading of major portions of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) or New Testament. All sections explore the Bible as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern), examining to varying degrees how the texts have been used in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles. The course also examines elements of power and privilege, both with respect to the social and political positions of the authors and the settings in which the texts were written, and also with respect to how the biblical texts have been appropriated in different time periods and by different communities (in history and today), and used as vehicles of both oppression and liberation. The course investigates the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context, or in their Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, applying modern methods of biblical interpretation. Students may examine a specialized biblical topic of the instructor’s choosing such as the Pentateuch, historical literature, wisdom literature, prophetic literature, or apocalyptic literature in the Hebrew Bible; or the Gospels, the Letters of Paul, or apocalyptic literature in the New Testament. Courses might focus on a particular theme, such as justice in the Bible, or how Jesus approached forgiveness or nonviolence.
A theological and historical introduction to the origins and development of the Christian church from the first to the fifth centuries. Special attention will be given to the historical emergence of Christian doctrines, creeds and canon; the formation of Christian understandings of the human person; the development of liturgical and sacramental traditions; and the interaction of Christianity with other ancient cultures. Contemporary approaches to the study of Christian origins will be emphasized.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. A theological and historical introduction to the origins and development of the Christian church from the first to the fifth centuries. Special attention will be given to the historical emergence of Christian doctrines, creeds and canon; the formation of Christian understandings of the human person; the development of liturgical and sacramental traditions; and the interaction of Christianity with other ancient cultures. Contemporary approaches to the study of Christian origins will be emphasized.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section involves the student in an intensive historical, literary, and theological reading of major portions of the New Testament in the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts and from the perspective of modern methods of biblical interpretation. In addition, the course explores the New Testament as a foundational document for modern Christian traditions in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors. This section will examine not only Christian theology and art, but also consider the arts in Judaism, Islam, Asian and African traditions. Prerequisite: one 200-level or 300-level THEO course, one Art History course.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors. This section will examine not only Christian theology and art, but also consider the arts in Judaism, Islam, Asian and African traditions.
Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors. This section will examine not only Christian theology and art, but also consider the arts in Judaism, Islam, Asian and African traditions. Prerequisite: one 200-level or 300-level THEO course, one Art History course.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. Readings will focus primarily on C.S. Lewis's literary works, especially, but not exclusively, on his fiction. The course will also include some critical works, both Lewis's as well as others' work about Lewis. In addition, numerous biblical passages will be examined, including the parables of Jesus, which, as a parallel to Lewis's work, can demonstrate the theological possibility of narrative. Class lectures and readings in and about Lewis will explore Christian theology and its interdisciplinary relations to literature, especially myth. Through the lens of Lewis's literature, historical, philosophical, moral, educational, and global issues will be considered.
Readings will focus primarily on C.S. Lewis's literary works, especially, but not exclusively, on his fiction. The course will also include some critical works, both Lewis's as well as others' work about Lewis. In addition, numerous biblical passages will be examined, including the parables of Jesus, which, as a parallel to Lewis's work, can demonstrate the theological possibility of narrative. Class lectures and readings in and about Lewis will explore Christian theology and its interdisciplinary relations to literature, especially myth. Through the lens of Lewis's literature, historical, philosophical, moral, educational, and global issues will be considered.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section examines how technology shapes our identities and our relationships with nature, other people, and the transcendent. Does technology bring us closer to the natural world or make it harder to experience it? Does it help or hinder our relationships with other people and with God? We’ll look at historical examples, such as the impact of electric lights, and current technologies, like virtual reality and prosthetic enhancements of the body. The course readings will include a range of voices from Christian theology, from ancient to modern times, that offer insight on sharing a meaningful human life with others and discerning the presence of the divine in work, leisure, silence, and the natural world.
This section examines how technology shapes our identities and our relationships with nature, other people, and the transcendent. Does technology bring us closer to the natural world or make it harder to experience it? Does it help or hinder our relationships with other people and with God? We’ll look at historical examples, such as the impact of electric lights, and current technologies, like virtual reality and prosthetic enhancements of the body. The course readings will include a range of voices from Christian theology, from ancient to modern times, that offer insight on sharing a meaningful human life with others and discerning the presence of the divine in work, leisure, silence, and the natural world.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section examines how technology shapes our identities and our relationships with nature, other people, and the transcendent. Does technology bring us closer to the natural world or make it harder to experience it? Does it help or hinder our relationships with other people and with God? We’ll look at historical examples, such as the impact of electric lights, and current technologies, like virtual reality and prosthetic enhancements of the body. The course readings will include a range of voices from Christian theology, from ancient to modern times, that offer insight on sharing a meaningful human life with others and discerning the presence of the divine in work, leisure, silence, and the natural world.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course considers the development and contemporary significance of Christian and Catholic social thought. Students study how Christian convictions have led to historic advances in the development of health care, social safety nets, just wages, labor unions, cooperatives, and environmental policy. Students bring Christian social thought into dialogue with a spectrum of historic social systems, from communitarian models to individualistic capitalism, and consider resources and challenges from the Christian tradition in creating a just social order.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
NOTE: This course is for students on the “old core.” Students on the new core should take any THEO 221-229 if they are choosing to take the third required course on philosophical and theological reasoning in Theology. This course is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology. Prerequisite: one 200-level or 300-level THEO course
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course will explore various approaches to God and God's relationship to humankind, including perspectives written by people traditionally on the margins of theological research. A central question for this section will be how God responds to injustice. This course explores the role of scripture, history, tradition and experience in the understanding of God. It examines both old and new theologies, asking key theological questions such as, “What difference does it make how people picture God?” “How could a good God create a world where evil and suffering are possible?” or “If God has a plan for the world, are we free to make our own choices?”
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course will explore various approaches to God and God's relationship to humankind, including perspectives written by people traditionally on the margins of theological research. A central question for this section will be how God responds to injustice. This course explores the role of scripture, history, tradition and experience in the understanding of God. It examines both old and new theologies, asking key theological questions such as, “What difference does it make how people picture God?” “How could a good God create a world where evil and suffering are possible?” or “If God has a plan for the world, are we free to make our own choices?”
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.
This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course introduces students to central aspects of Christian history, thought, and action concerning ethnicity and race and provides resources to build up what Martin Luther King, Jr., called the “Beloved Community.” The course helps students develop ethical reasoning skills through consideration of various historical and contemporary Christian encounters across lines of racial difference, including examples from monastic communities, papal documents, missionary endeavors, North American churches, and saints from the Catholic tradition.
This course introduces students to central aspects of Christian history, thought, and action concerning ethnicity and race and provides resources to build up what Martin Luther King, Jr., called the “Beloved Community.” The course helps students develop ethical reasoning skills through consideration of various historical and contemporary Christian encounters across lines of racial difference, including examples from monastic communities, papal documents, missionary endeavors, North American churches, and saints from the Catholic tradition.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. In the last half century religious diversity in the West has rapidly increased, bringing people from different religious traditions into daily contact. This has resulted in new conflicts, sometimes in violence, but also in new collaborations and friendships. Drawing on several approaches to interreligious conflict and relations, this course will examine the dynamic encounters that take place between and among people of different religious identities and ask students to reflect on their own role in religiously complex situations. Students will consider this interreligious reality and their role in it against the backdrop of their own individual relationship to spirituality, faith, and theology. To foster interreligious understanding beyond the classroom, students in this course will spend significant time outside the classroom directly engaging religious diversity.
In the last half century religious diversity in the West has rapidly increased, bringing people from different religious traditions into daily contact. This has resulted in new conflicts, sometimes in violence, but also in new collaborations and friendships. Drawing on several approaches to interreligious conflict and relations, this course will examine the dynamic encounters that take place between and among people of different religious identities and ask students to reflect on their own role in religiously complex situations. Students will consider this interreligious reality and their role in it against the backdrop of their own individual relationship to spirituality, faith, and theology. To foster interreligious understanding beyond the classroom, students in this course will spend significant time outside the classroom directly engaging religious diversity.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course attempts to offer a brief introduction to the fields of comparative theology and religious studies by studying various approaches to and conceptions of religion. At the end of the course, it will be important for students to have a grasp on the historical timeline, key figures, common texts and practices of each of the traditions covered throughout the semester. The main concern of the course is for students to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for how religion is embedded in all dimensions of human experience, meaning that religion, despite the emphasis in the West, is not simply a matter of private beliefs, but has implications for our public life together. We will engage both historical and contemporary events as we attempt to understand how religion both shapes and is shaped by the political, cultural and social dimensions of our world.
This course attempts to offer a brief introduction to the fields of comparative theology and religious studies by studying various approaches to and conceptions of religion. At the end of the course, it will be important for students to have a grasp on the historical timeline, key figures, common texts and practices of each of the traditions covered throughout the semester. The main concern of the course is for students to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for how religion is embedded in all dimensions of human experience, meaning that religion, despite the emphasis in the West, is not simply a matter of private beliefs, but has implications for our public life together. We will engage both historical and contemporary events as we attempt to understand how religion both shapes and is shaped by the political, cultural and social dimensions of our world.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section offers an examination of Judaism in comparison to Christianity: its history, literature, religious concepts, practices and personalities.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is an introduction to the beliefs, practices, and diverse expressions of the religion and traditions of Islam. We will closely study the foundational sources of the Islamic tradition, the Qur’an and the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, and trace the development of Islamic law, theology, spirituality, literature, and art. We will situate Islam as an Abrahamic religion and examine its commonalities, differences, and historical interactions with Christianity and Judaism. Finally, we will analyze contemporary topics such as Muslim responses to the challenges of modernity, Islam in America, and Islam in geopolitics.
This section is an introduction to the beliefs, practices, and diverse expressions of the religion and traditions of Islam. We will closely study the foundational sources of the Islamic tradition, the Qur’an and the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, and trace the development of Islamic law, theology, spirituality, literature, and art. We will situate Islam as an Abrahamic religion and examine its commonalities, differences, and historical interactions with Christianity and Judaism. Finally, we will analyze contemporary topics such as Muslim responses to the challenges of modernity, Islam in America, and Islam in geopolitics.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section offers an examination of Judaism in comparison to Christianity: its history, literature, religious concepts, practices and personalities.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course explores diverse global religious and spiritual traditions and practices as they are locally practiced and expressed by ordinary people in their everyday lives – both within religious spaces and nonreligious spaces.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course attempts to offer a brief introduction to the fields of comparative theology and religious studies by studying various approaches to and conceptions of religion. At the end of the course, it will be important for students to have a grasp on the historical timeline, key figures, common texts and practices of each of the traditions covered throughout the semester. The main concern of the course is for students to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for how religion is embedded in all dimensions of human experience, meaning that religion, despite the emphasis in the West, is not simply a matter of private beliefs, but has implications for our public life together. We will engage both historical and contemporary events as we attempt to understand how religion both shapes and is shaped by the political, cultural and social dimensions of our world.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This section is a comparison of the teachings and practices of Christianity with the teachings and practices of selected non-Christian religions, for example, American Indian (Lakota), Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The aim of the course will be to clarify similarities and differences between Christianity and other religions, to reflect on the problem posed by religious pluralism in modern culture, and to develop a Christian theology of world religions.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum. This course provides an investigation into the ways in which Catholicism is inherently social and ecclesial. Its specific focus is on the Christian engagement with the world. The course's framework will be taken from the analysis of society into three spheres of action (culture, politics, and economics) as described in Centesimus annus. We will examine the ways that Revelation, the sacramental life, and the teachings of the Church call Catholics to seek holiness and to witness to their faith in the world. Specific topics may include social and economic justice, politics and public policy, lay and religious apostolates, education, and marriage and family. Course materials may include resources from philosophy, theology, history, economics, and political science.
Theology courses numbered 221-229+300 are reserved for students on the new core curriculum.
This section will focus on patterns that emerged in both contexts—Germany under Hitler; South Africa under apartheid: economic anxiety; the rise of nationalism; the election of a tyrant; theological rationales for tyranny, torture, and even genocide; theological and artistic resistance; the complicated role of Catholicism; and legal processes in the aftermath.